Tsunami Yesterday; Hurricane Tomorrow. What Can You Do About It?

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 28: People bag sand for sandbags as Hurricane Sandy approaches on October 28, 2012 in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a mandatory evacuation on low-lying coastal areas of the city. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean is predicted to bring heavy winds and floodwaters to the mid-Atlantic region. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

Yesterday there were fears of a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean after a 7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada. Although nothing materialized, fears of the 2004 Indian Ocean were on everyone’s mind, and an evacuation plan was put in place. Thankfully not much happened, and mild 5-foot waves were all that were reported on the shores of Maui.

However, it’s a good reminder that tsunamis big and small have struck with more frequency in the last few years. You never know when one will be serious.

Tomorrow, America’s east coast braces for the arrival of the perfect storm as Hurricane Sandy moves up the Atlantic seaboard and meets a winter low coming down from Canada. The low pressure will suck the Hurricane in toward land, which is abnormal considering most tropical storms spin out into the North Atlantic.

Residents from DC up to Canada were stocking up on food supplies, securing their homes, and filling sandbags in anticipation of 100 mph winds and a lot of rain. New York City is worried that the subway system will flood, and presidential rallies in the swing states of Virginia and Pennsylvania have been called off. Further inland, the forecast calls for up to two feet of snow all the way into Kentucky.

The most worrisome thing from our point of view are the reports that store shelves have been entirely cleared by locals wondering how long and how severe the effects of the storm will be. Too many people forget how precarious supply chains can be and don’t do enough to prepare themselves for disruptions. If you find yourself in this category, we recommend you do something about it now.

For those in the storm’s path, we wish you luck. For those who want to be ready for when a disaster strikes the next time, we recommend buying food storage, getting a water filter, and securing a power or heat source. You can start by going here.

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